


isolated

by KayveeWrites



Category: Criminal Minds (US TV)
Genre: Aaron Hotchner is literally Spencer's dad, Aftermath of Torture, Dad Hotch, Grant Anderson is just here too, Hurt Spencer Reid, Nightmares, Parent Aaron Hotchner, Platonic Cuddling, Protective Aaron Hotchner, i will take no comments, weird powder in elevator
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-27
Updated: 2020-10-27
Packaged: 2021-03-08 17:34:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,906
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27220546
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KayveeWrites/pseuds/KayveeWrites
Summary: “I’m fine, Hotch.”“Stop it, Reid!” Hotch yelled, which caught Spencer’s attention. He curiously looked at his boss. “Stop telling me you’re okay, dammit!”-Just when everyone is about to leave for the night, the elevator opens to reveal a package that contains a mysterious powder, forcing the office to go on lockdown. Reid hasn't been doing too well, so Hotch uses this night to confront him.
Relationships: Aaron Hotchner & Spencer Reid, Grant Anderson & Spencer Reid, No Romantic Relationship(s)
Comments: 12
Kudos: 175





	isolated

**Author's Note:**

> These characters do not belong to me. I am solely writing for my enjoyment and make no profit.
> 
> TWs: Mentioned Kidnapping, Mentioned Torture, Death Mentioned
> 
> Hi! So this is my first criminal mind's fic, and of course, it's dad hotch. It's based on the episode "lockdown" from Brooklyn Nine-Nine. Anyways, it's not beta-read or anything, and it's probably shit, but I hope you enjoy it! ♡

It was a quiet night in the office. The team had just wrapped up a case. Everyone had gone home except for Reid, Anderson and Hotch. Anderson and Hotch had actual work to do, while Reid just used his job as an excuse for not sleeping. The nightmares were always there.

When Hotch finished his paper, he checked his watch. It was almost midnight. Peering out the window, he found Reid pouring his eighth coffee cup while making small talk with Anderson. The two of them looked exhausted. Over the past few nights, he had noticed that they were the only two to remain. He profiled their recent behaviours.

Anderson was _still_ trying to make up for the whole Elle situation. He held himself comfortably with Reid yet was tense with the rest of the team. Hotch figured it was due to them bonding over Star Trek. Maybe they had talked about _it_. Yet still, he didn’t blame Anderson, although he did slightly overreact at the moment. He should probably talk to him.

He knew Anderson had a girlfriend, yet he was married to the job. He was just trying to redeem himself. Poor thing probably had nightmares every day. It was his fault Anderson blamed himself. Hotch shook his head and turned his attention to Reid.

Spencer seemed relaxed around the other agent, yet he was still holding back. His eyes held massive bags. You would assume he’d been in a fight. Yet, even though he was tired, he gave Anderson his full attention. He even smiled when he was told a joke. Hotch thinks it’s the first real smile he’s seen on the kid in months.

He knows Reid has been having nightmares for months, but he didn’t notice it was this bad until he could profile him closely. He had promised not to examine his teammates, but it was hard not to feel overprotective over their youngest.

He watched as the conversation died off, both of the agents returning to their desks. He frowned as Reid stole some files off Emily’s and Morgan’s workspaces. But that was Spencer for you, working himself to death.

Hotch sighed before returning to his work. He would yell at the two to go home in a bit or drag them if he needed to. It’s not like he couldn’t get mad at either of them for having insomnia. He practically had it as well.

After about thirty minutes, an exhausted Anderson shuffled into his office. He put some files down on Hotch’s desk before turning to leave.

“Anderson, wait up.” Hotch interrupted as the younger man turned to face his superior. Clearly seeing the worry on his face, Hotch offered a soft smile. He grabbed his leather bag off the ground and threw his coat over his shoulder.

“I’ll walk you out. You should get some rest. See if I can force Reid to get home as well.” He chuckled and was pleased when a grin crossed Anderson’s face. The two of them walked into the bullpen, Anderson swiftly grabbing his bag.

“Reid,” Hotch announced, forcing Spencer to acknowledge his presence.

“What can I do for ya, Hotch?” Reid yawned, fatigue taking over.

“You can let me drive you home.” Hotch scolded, grabbing Reid’s messenger bag and throwing it over his shoulder. He then held out an expectant hand.

Hesitantly, Reid grabbed it and accepted the help to pull himself up. He quickly put on his coat. The three of them strolled over to the elevator, pressed the button and waited.

The doors opened, and none of them were ready for what they saw. There was an _open_ bag containing a mysterious white powder. It was about the size of the box, and there were particles already floating towards them. The three agents stopped in their tracks and slowly backed away from the elevator.

“We’re okay,” Hotch assured, taking a deep breath in. “Go sit in my office. I’ll meet you there.” He ordered the two agents. He passed Reid his messenger bag, and both of them complied, gradually walking back towards the office. Pulling out his phone, Hotch dialled the hazmat team. They were in for a long night.

* * *

Over the next little bit, Anderson and Reid nervously watched everything from Hotch’s office. Hazmat had come in and sealed off the floor. It was like they just bubbled wrapped the office. It certainly wasn’t a comforting thought. They also sent the package for testing. They are isolated together on the floor at 1 am. Could tonight get any worse?

Aaron strolled into the office, phone in hand. He settled into his office chair across from the two agents. As they waited for Hotch to finish his phone call, they continued their game of Tic Tac Toe. They were playing on Reid’s hand. Just as Hotch finished his call, Anderson smiled and silently triumphed. Reid was struggling to hold back a laugh.

“Okay. We’ve been put into a lockdown, meaning none of us can leave this office building. Now according to hazmat and some higher-ups, other government buildings have received similar packages, and they were all baking powder.” Hotch explained, and the two sighed in relief.

“Nevertheless, hazmat has decided to run a quick test. So we’re stuck here for a while. But, don’t worry, they are almost positive it’s a hoax,” Hotch continued, and the sighs turned into groans.

“Almost? What if it’s like Anthrax or something?” Anderson asked, with unease etched on his face, “What if we die?”

“Calm down. That’s not possible. Anthrax is a clumpy and thick powder. Our powder was like super thin." Reid explained, placing a reassuring hand on Anderson’s leg. The agent’s face seemed to relax, and he nodded.

“Anyways, anyone up for a game of cards?” Hotch offered, grabbing his pack from his desk and holding it up to his colleagues.

“Why not? You better not cheat.” Anderson grinned, playfully shoving Reid.

“Of course. You better bet I’ll beat you.” Reid smirked as he grabbed his cards.

“Let the game begin.” Hotch joked as he took a long sip of his coffee, drawing his cards.

* * *

The three of them were now gathered by the elevator, awaiting news from hazmat about the powder. It really couldn’t have taken that long to get the tests back? They were all drained. Anderson looked like he was about to crash, Hotch had bags under his eyes but held his composure fine, and Reid was just drinking another coffee cup.

“Hey, sorry for the delay. I have some news.” A hazmat official spoke as he came through the barrier. He wore a white, zip-up suit.

“Mhm,” Reid mused, sipping away at his drink while keeping his eyes trained on the ground.

“Well, we ran out tests. It’s not baking powder. There’s a chance it’s toxic.” The guy explained. Anderson gaped at him while Reid spat out his coffee.

“Alright, it’s not baking powder. What is it?” Hotch asked calmly, clearly shocked but holding his own.

“We’re not sure. The emergency labs are closed as it’s late, but we are going to reopen them. But-” The hazmat guy continued.

“There’s a but?” Anderson groaned, gently leaning against the office doors.

“But, it’ll be at least six to seven hours before they can run detailed tests. That’s all for now.” The hazmat guy finished describing their situation and headed out, leaving three distressed agents.

“Great, we’re stuck in here!” Reid fumed, flailing his free arm around.

“I know it sucks. I’m going to call Rossi. Try to get some sleep.” Hotch instructed as he grabbed his phone from his pocket.

“Where?” Anderson inquired, staring at Hotch expectantly.

“Uh, the break room or Rossi’s office both have couches. There should be blankets by the interrogation rooms.” Hotch clarified, offering his colleagues a smile. The two of them nodded. Anderson headed to the break room while Reid marched off to Rossi’s office.

* * *

“Yeah, that’s all we know, Rossi.” Hotch sighed, holding the phone to his ear and messaging his temple.

“It would be great if you alert the team.”

“Alright, I’ll tell them to report straight to Quantico.” Rossi’s muffled voice came through the phone.

“No, no, David. We don’t need them to come in till the morning. There’s no point.” Hotch reprimanded. He didn’t want the whole team to put themselves at risk or to lose sleep.

“I’ll just call them then.”

“That would be great. Tell the team not to worry, though.”

“Are the kids alright?” Rossi asked seriously, worrying about his surrogate grandchildren.

“Yes, the kids are doing fine. I’m going to check on them soon. Try not to worry.” Hotch reminded softly. He knew if he were in David’s spot, he would be worried sick. He would put himself into the isolation zone, not caring about his life but his team.

“You know, the team nor I will be able to sleep knowing you’re stuck at the office with that powder all night. Can we help at all?” Rossi suggested, and Hotch swore he could hear a coffee machine in the background. He was just as bad as Reid.

“Well, you could start looking at security footage, putting together a profile, and so forth. But only if you want to.”

“Sounds good. I’ll call you back soon.” Rossi hung up, and Aaron slipped his cellphone back into his pocket. Time to check on the children.

* * *

Hotch passed Anderson first. He was passed out on the couch in the breakroom. His head was resting on his arm, and there was drool coming out of his mouth. Hotch genuinely awed at the scene. He noticed the kid didn’t have a blanket, so he hurried off to the interrogation rooms.

They always had kept spare blankets in there for victims and suspects. The blankets were a little scratchy and not the comfiest, but they kept you warm. Hotch grabbed two, one for each agent. He made his way back to the break room and laid a blanket over Anderson. Smiling, he headed towards Rossi’s office.

He quickly stopped before the open door when he heard Reid on the phone with someone. Curiously, he leaned in and listened to the conversation. Reid burped before Hotch heard him speak. 

“Emily! Hey, yes, I know. Things are dope over here.” Reid blabbered, and Hotch assumed Emily had asked him about the whole quarantined situation.

“Now you can’t tell anyone this,” Reid whispered, lowering his voice. He had turned towards the window, and Hotch took it as an opportunity to enter the room.

“My nightmares are back, and I can’t sleep. But that’s not what I called you!” Reid giggled, and Hotch frowned as he saw Reid take a swig from a bottle in his hand.

“Rossi’s got a cheap bottle of jack in his room. I need a drinking game to-” Reid explained as he turned around to find Hotch staring at him with a disapproving glare. “I’ll need to call you back,” Reid reported, hanging up the phone.

The two stared at each other in silence for a few moments. Taking a deep breath in, Hotch made the first move. He gently set the blanket down on the couch and held out a hand to take the bottle. Hesitantly and surprisingly, Reid handed the bottle back. Hotch examined the whiskey as he set it down on the desk. It was probably one-third drank. 

“How long has it been since you’ve slept?” Hotch asked, his voice stern yet soft. He had his arms crossed and was leaning in the doorway.

“I’m okay, Hotch,” Reid muttered, sitting down on the couch.

“Reid.”  
  


“I’m fine, Hotch.”

“Stop it, Reid!” Hotch yelled, which caught Spencer’s attention. He curiously looked at his boss. “Stop telling me you’re okay, dammit!”  
  


With that, Reid’s eyes drifted towards the ground, tears welling. Hotch, instantly realizing his mistake of yelling, sat down beside Reid.

“24 hours and 4 minutes,” Reid mumbled. Hotch gaped. How was Reid still standing? He wanted to scream at him for being an idiot, but he took a deep breath in, stood up and crouched in front of the boy. Hotch took a moment to examine Reid before speaking. He was pale, had bags under his eyes and looked oddly skinny.

“Why aren’t you sleeping, kiddo?” Hotch inquired softly, grabbing Reid’s hands and holding them tight in his.

“Nightmares. Tobias Hankel.” Reid admitted, lowering his head into his knees. Hotch froze. How did he help him? He just continued to hold his hands. They sat there for a few moments until Spencer began to sob.

Hotch removed one of his hands from Spencer’s and began rubbing it along the kid’s back. “There, there,” He soothed.

“I’m scared to go to sleep.” Reid sniffled, looking up at Hotch and throwing his arms around his superior’s neck. Hotch slightly fell back but quickly regained his composure and hugged Reid tightly.

“Thank you for telling me, Spencer. Would it make you feel better if I was with you?” Hotch suggested, using the voice he would use with Jack. When Reid nodded, he took charge. He grabbed the blanket off the couch and guided Reid toward his office.

Once in the privacy of his office, Hotch sat down on the couch. He gently motioned for Reid to sit beside him. Nervously, Reid etched himself into the other corner of the sofa. Sighing, Hotch grabbed the younger man’s shoulders. He softly laid Reid down and let the younger man’s head lay in his lap. Next, he took the blanket off the couch’s arm and put it over Spencer’s body.

“Stay?” Reid mumbled as Hotch began playing with his hair.

“Always.” And with that, the younger agent began to fall asleep, his surrogate father protectively watching over him.

* * *

“And that’s sent to Garcia,” Anderson smirked as he snapped a picture of Reid and Hotch. A little after Spencer had fallen asleep, Aaron fell asleep as well. Cuddled up close, Reid had a tight hold on Hotch’s shirt.

He gently shook Hotch because they did have news regarding the powder. The older agent woke up, ready to fight. His face softened when he saw Anderson.

“What’s up?” He asked sleepily, his voice groggy.

“Team’s here, and there is news about the powder,” Anderson informed. “Uh, I’ll give you guys some time to get ready.” He motioned in Reid’s direction, and Hotch nodded his thanks.

Once Anderson left, he began to shake Reid awake. Thankfully the boy woke up rather quickly. He looked at Hotch, confused and tired.

“H’tch?” Reid yawned, rubbing his eyes as he sat up. As soon as he saw his situation, he blushed a bright red and got up. He nervously started to ramble.

“I’m sorry, sir. That won’t happen-”

“Calm down, Spencer. It’s fine.” Hotch smiled, setting a reassuring hand on Reid’s shoulder. “Now, we do have to go see what’s going on.”

With that, the two agents fixed themselves up. Making sure they looked somewhat presentable. They met Anderson, who was sitting on the stairs playing with his phone. The trio all joined together and approached the bubble wrap, where a hazmat official was waiting.

“Agents.” The man greeted, holding the ominous clipboard.

“Morning.” Was all Reid said as he leaned against Hotch, exhausted.

“We are still awaiting the final test results. Hopefully, we’ll hear within the hour. It should all be harmless, and you can go home.” The official explained, “Uh, your team is being briefed and will be out soon, but will have to stay behind the plastic.”

After the hazmat official left, the three agents grabbed swirly office chairs and pulled them towards the barrier. Reid had begged for some coffee, but Hotch quickly shot that down, arguing that he would be getting sleep when they went home, and coffee would only keep him up.

A good ten minutes passed before the team became visible behind the barrier. They were ecstatic to see Hotch, Reid and Anderson all alive and well. The next hour awaiting test results was passed by eating crappy food from the fridge, chatting, playing games of heads up and just making sure everyone was okay.

* * *

“I have news, everyone.” A hazmat official spoke, this time not in his suit. “The powder was not harmless, and you are all free to go home.” A few more officials flooded the room and started tearing down the plastic barriers. Everyone exchanged hugs as they were allowed to see and touch each other.

Hotch gently pulled Rossi aside. “Let me send Anderson and Reid home, and I’ll stay to-” David shushed him, passing him his coat and bag.

“You’re going home, Aaron. Along with Grant and Spencer.” Rossi insisted, using first names to enforce his order. Hotch nodded, smiling at Rossi.

Making his way back to his office, he grabbed Reid’s messenger bag before heading to the bullpen to find him. He was happy to see Anderson was already gone. Rossi had ordered a car to bring him back home.

Quickly scanning the growing crowd, he found the man he considered to be his son. He politely excused the two of them from any conversations and walked them towards the elevator.

“I’m taking you home,” Hotch announced as the two were in the privacy of the elevator, heading to the parking garage.

“Yeah, uh, you know my address, right?” Reid asked nervously, scratching the back of his neck.

“No, Spencer, _home_. With me.”

**Author's Note:**

> PS that fact about anthrax was not true. I just made it up on the spot, so, yeah. I hope you enjoy the fic! ♡


End file.
